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While there’s a few more fall film festivals popping up in the next month, the major ones are behind us, which means we have a strong sense of the films to have on your radar in the coming months and even through 2025. We’ve asked our writers from across the globe to weigh in on their favorite world premieres from Locarno Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, and BFI London Film Festival.

Our coverage will continue with a few more reviews this week, and far beyond as we provide updates on the journey of these selections, so continue to explore all of our festival coverage here. In the meantime, check out top picks from our writers below and return soon for our extensive year-end coverage.

Soham Gadre (@SohamGadre)

1. April (Dea Kulumbegashvili)

2 and 3. Youth (Homecoming and Hard Times) (Wang Bing...

Seth Worley makes his feature film directing debut with Sketch, a tale that brings wondrous creatures to life. Worley helms this odyssey about a family working through grief, finding creative inspiration from his own children along the way.

We meet siblings Amber and Jack Wyatt, still adjusting after the passing of their mother. Amber turns to artistic expression, filling a notebook with imaginative doodles. Her drawings serve as an outlet, though little does she know the magic that’s brewing.

The enigmatic pond by their home carries mysterious properties. When Amber’s sketchbook tumbles into its murky depths, her creations morph into something more. Monsters pulled straight from the pages soon wreaked havoc across their neighborhood.

Led by their father, Taylor, the Wyatts unite to undo Amber’s animated antics. They must face both the beasts without and the sadness within on this journey. Meanwhile, Sketch blends live action with...

Since the death of her mother, 10-year-old Amber Wyatt (Bianca Belle) has been bothered by all sorts of dark thoughts. Rather than act on those impulses, Amber commits her most monstrous ideas to a secret journal, purging anxieties from her subconscious though art. The process would be therapeutic, if not for a gnarly twist that releases Amber’s scary scribbles into the real world: marker-drawn hearts with insatiable appetites, a googly-eyed glitter monster on long bendy legs, and swarms of red, arachnid-like “Eyeders.”

With his stellar indie family adventure “Sketch,” commercials director Seth Worley has come up with a creative — and highly teachable — concept for his feature debut, using imaginative visual effects to impart a valuable lesson about dealing with grief and other strong feelings. The live-action/CG-animated hybrid channels the spirit of “Jumanji,” by way of “The Babadook,” but with something important to say. Once Amber’s doodles get...

If the upcoming film “Sketch” feels like a mashup of two of the most successful films ever made, that was exactly the point, according to star Tony Hale.

“Sketch” hit the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday. The movie follows a father (Hale) and his children, who are left grieving in the wake of wife and mother Lis’s (D’Arcy Carden) death. His daughter is encouraged to draw to help cope with the loss — before her comically dark creations begin coming to life and wreaking havoc on their town.

Sitting down with TheWrap’s 2024 TIFF Studio sponsored by Moët & Chandon and Boss Design, Hale and writer-director Seth Worley explained the clear homages the film is making.

“We describe it like ‘Jurassic Park’ meets ‘Inside Out,'” Hale said.

Worley said that “Jurassic Park” in particular was a guiding star in how he wanted people to feel watching “Sketch.”

“The movie is,...

If you were to take the wide-eyed wonder of a Steven Spielberg, the impish mischief of a Joe Dante, plus the vibrant visuals of prime Pixar and somehow blitz them together in a Magic Bullet blender, the resulting concoction might well resemble Sketch, an audaciously gonzo first feature by Seth Worley.

Although the tween tale may be admittedly lacking in singular originality, it more than compensates for all its borrowed bits with a Skittles-hued sugar rush of a live-action romp, with an unusual take on family therapy in which a 10-year-old girl’s grief manifests in violent drawings come to life.

Working with an engaging, spirited cast and a talented visual effects crew, Worley, a VFX aficionado whose prior directorial output has been mainly in the field of corporate-branded videos, turns out a hard-to-resist, all-ages crowd tickler that seems certain to land distribution on the heels of its Toronto International Film Festival bow.

One of the first films that made me fall in love with cinema was Steven Spielberg’s enduring “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” While I’m most certainly not alone in this, that it’s stuck with so many is just more of a testament to its greatness. With its ragtag group of scrappy, resourceful kids navigating the perils of growing up and the somehow equally relatable challenges of caring for a kindly otherworldly visitor that the government is after, it’s a film that soars every time you watch it.

There’s a good chance that Seth Worley, writer and director of the monster movie “Sketch,” was similarly impacted by Spielberg’s work. His rather fun feature debut offers its own compassionate and frequently clever romp that, while not as good as “E.T.” by any stretch of the imagination, has plenty of that same sense of charm hiding away.

There’s never been a “normal” year in the independent film market, but this will be the first time in five years that Toronto and Venice don’t have to deal with active catastrophe. No massive labor strikes, pandemics, virtual screenings, or even overwhelming panic about the box office: Just movies seeking buyers.

Now, only one question remains: With this newfound sense of calm, will they show up? As one sales agent put it to IndieWire: If this year turns out to be slow for indie film sales, there are “no more excuses.”

A lot happened while everyone was busy fending off disaster. It’s unclear if theatrical viewing habits will ever return to the levels of 2019 and nowhere is that more apparent than the indie sector. Back in the day, Netflix and Amazon were major buyers; today, all streamers have scaled way, way back on their acquisitions. They...

Pünktlich kurz vor Bekanntgabe des Venedig-Programms gibt das 49. Toronto International Film Festival schon einmal einen dicken Schwung neuer großer Titel aus den Vorzeigereihen „Gala Presentations“ und „Special Presentations“ bekannt. Darunter befindet sich auch der neue Film von Edward Berger, „Conclave“, und die Weltpremieren neuer Arbeiten von Angelina Jolie und Mike Leigh.

Brían F. O’Byrne und Ralph Fiennes in Edward Bergers „Conclave“ (Credit: Focus Features)

Man kann immer viel lernen aus diesem ersten dicken Schwung Ankündigungen, die das Toronto International Film Festival traditionell immer kurz vor der Bekanntgabe des Programms der Mostra in Venedig veröffentlicht. Hauptsächlich um dem Erzkonkurrenten aus good old Europe ein bisschen in die Suppe zu spucken. Wenn einer der 63 Titel in diesem dicken Konvolut als „nordamerikanische“, „kanadische“ oder „internationale“ Premiere betitelt wird und der Titel vorher noch nicht in Cannes oder Berlin gelaufen ist, kann man ablesen, ob er vor Toronto bereits in Venedig und/oder Telluride gezeigt wird.

The 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival have unveiled their lineup of 63 films from the Gala and Special Presentations programs. Notable titles include the world premieres of Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths and The Last Showgirl, the North American premieres of Athina Rachel Tsangari’s Harvest and Justin Kurzel’s The Order, the Canadian premiere of Joshua Oppenheimer’s The End, along with many favorites from this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Check out the lineup below.

Galas 2024 (in alphabetical order)

*Previously announced

Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe Cosima Spender | UK

World Premiere

Better Man Michael Gracey | USA

Canadian Premiere

Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight Embeth Davidtz | South Africa

Canadian Premiere

Sales Title

*Eden Ron Howard | USA

World Premiere

Sales Title

*Elton John: Never Too Late R.J. Cutler, David Furnish | USA

World Premiere

*Harbin Woo Min-ho | South Korea

World Premiere

Meet the Barbarians...

The Toronto Film Festival has turned up the star power for its 49th edition, having added the latest movies from Alicia Vikander, Lupita Nyong’o, Steve Coogan, Ralph Fiennes, Jennifer Lopez, Salma Hayek, Lily James and Riz Ahmed.

For the Gala section at Roy Thomson Hall, there’s world bows for two music specials: the Andrea Bocelli biopic Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe, a doc about the Italian tenor by director Cosima Spender; and Thom Zimny’s Bruce Springsteen doc for Disney+ and Hulu, Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. Zimny was in Toronto last year with his Sylvester Stallone documentary Sly for Netflix.

TIFF will also give a first look to Uberto Pasolini’s historical epic The Return, with Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche reteaming after The English Patient. And there’s gala world premieres for Peter Cattaneo’s The Penguin Lessons, toplined by Steve Coogan and...

Darker Colours is a supernatural horror short from Red Giant and writer/director Seth Worley.

After a young girl’s drawings are transformed into living monsters made of crayon and glitter, her older brother leads a mission into the woods to destroy them.

The soundtrack was composed by Makeup and Vanity Set.

Check out the soundtrack here.

Recommended Release: Ghost Team...

I've got another really cool short film for you to watch today. It's an espionage comedy thriller called Spy Vs. Guy. It comes from the filmmaking team Red Giant and was directed by Seth Worley. This is the same guy who brought us these previously posted short films, Order Up, Plot Device, and Tempo. Spy Vs. Guy makes a fantastic addition to the filmmaker's resume.

The story follows a "retired Russian spy [who] hunts down dangerous technology after it falls into unsuspecting hands." Enjoy the show! 

Spy vs Guy from Red Giant on Vimeo.

 ...

Red Giant is known for their effects software, including Magic Bullet Looks, Colorista and Trapcode Particular. But they are also developing a name for themselves with a series of short films that are both entertaining and great demos of how-to-do effects on a budget. It probably doesn’t hurt that they also demonstrate how to use their software too! Director Seth Worley and Aharon Rabinowitz, director of Communities at Red Giant, spoke at a recent meeting of the Boston Creative Pro Users Group about the production of their latest short, Tempo. Worley first came to Red Giant’s attention when the company …...

Order Up Short Film, Poster. Seth Worley‘s Order Up (2012) short film, short film poster stars Micah Lanier. Order Up‘s plot synopsis: “A pizza is delivered to a creepy, abandoned location. Then it gets weird.” The Order Up short film poster: Order Up short film poster Very cool short film but I wish it was a [...]

Continue reading: Order Up (2012) Short Film, Poster: Seth Worley, Micah Lanier...

Here's a funny little sci-fi short film called Order Up, which follows a pizza delivery to a creepy, abandoned location where sci-fi things begin to happen. The short was produced by a software company called Red Giant, and was directed by Seth Worley. It turned out to be an entertainingly impressive little flick. Watch it and let us know what you liked and didn't like about it!

Order Up from Red Giant on Vimeo.

 ...

It's not all that surprising that short filmmakers who make visual effects-heavy films find an easier path to Hollywood. If you can grab people's attention with big spectacle made on a low budget, after all, it's easy for a producer to salivate at the idea of what you could do with a "real" budget. And thanks to the dwindling cost of both hardware and software, these kind of impressive vfx shorts have been making waves in Hollywood with more regularity. Panic Attack got Fede Alvarez the directing gig on the Evil Dead remake, Plot Device got Seth Worley signed with ICM, and we'd like to think if it can get enough exposure, The German will open up similar doors for Nick Ryan. The German, which features two pilots locked in a dogfight in the skies of...

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The Avengers trailer hit the Internet yesterday with a pretty heavy soundtrack. With Nine Inch Nails’ “We’re In This Together” blaring in the background, you might get the wrong impression about the movie, which is apparently a feel-good tale about friends that are just there for each other. Forever. So Seth Worley, who directed a nine-minute short for Red Giant called “Plot Device,” fixed up the trailer to properly reflect the film. It perfectly highlights Iron Man and Captain America’s hilarious bickering and The Hulk’s lovable freak-outs. You can take a look at “Avengers 4Ever” below. Avengers 4Ever from Seth...

This has been a busy week for Seth Worley. The Nashville-based filmmaker's witty short film "Plot Device" has quickly gone viral, generating media buzz and putting him on Hollywood's radar practically overnight. It's no surprise, either, because "Plot Device" makes for one helluva calling card: A visually scrumptious, ultra-high concept production, it follows a budding filmmaker (played by the director's brother) who purchases a button online that sends him reeling ...

This has been a busy week for Seth Worley. The Nashville-based filmmaker's witty short film "Plot Device" has quickly gone viral, generating media buzz and putting him on Hollywood's radar practically overnight. It's no surprise, either, because "Plot Device" makes for one helluva calling card: A visually scrumptious, ultra-high concept production, it follows a budding filmmaker (played by the director's brother) who purchases a button online that sends him reeling ...

Seth Worley is living the Hollywood dream. A relative unknown a few weeks ago, the fledgling filmmaker is now the talk of the town thanks to his short film/product promo Plot Device. The micro film has industry execs so excited that Worley is set to head to Tinseltown to meet with agents and producers. Not bad for a guy who was working in Nashville as a producer of videos for things like business conferences earlier this year. Made as a promotional video for Red Giant Software’s Magic Bullet Suite 11 (a program for color correction in film), Worley’s ten minute short is so good that you almost don’t realize it’s promoting a product. When aspiring filmmaker Ben (Worley’s real life brother Ben Worley) orders a product called “Plot...

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Seth Worley is living the Hollywood dream. A relative unknown a few weeks ago, the fledgling filmmaker is now the talk of the town thanks to his short film/product promo Plot Device. The micro film has industry execs so excited that Worley is set to head to Tinseltown to meet with agents and producers. Not bad for a guy who was working in Nashville as a producer of videos for things like business conferences earlier this year. Made as a promotional video for Red Giant Software’s Magic Bullet Suite 11 (a program for color correction in film), Worley’s ten minute short is so good that you almost don’t realize it’s promoting a product. When aspiring filmmaker Ben (Worley’s real life brother Ben Worley) orders a product called “Plot...

Read More...

By Sean O’Connell

Hollywoodnews.com: The clip has been online for a few weeks now. But according to reports, “Plot Device,” the inventive short film about a fledgling screenwriter who unlocks a machine that generates story ideas, could be getting director Seth Worley a foot in the door at the major studios.

Worley, from Nashville, helmed this 9-minute clip about a guy who orders the “Plot Device” on eBay. When it arrives, it unleashes every overused movie cliché on his front lawn. Check the clip out here:

Now THR says Worley, 27, is “planning an August trip to Los Angeles and has lined up meetings with CAA, UTA, Wme, some management firms and producers.” Worley first was noticed by Red Giant, a software application maker, when he submitted a fan promo for the ABC drama “Lost.” They tapped him to create a promo for their Magic Bullet color correction tool.

Plot Device is a promotional short film produced by software maker Red Giant to showcase the the company’s Magic Bullet Suite 11 and all it’s possibilities. The nine minute short film is directed by Seth Worley, and executive produced by Red Giant’s own Aharon Rabinowitz. Aharon and Seth co-wrote the film, working together in close collaboration throughout the project.

It is pretty interesting to see first hand the high caliber of work that can be created when using Magic Bullet Suite 11, even on a limited budget. The short follows a young filmmaker who obtains a mysterious device that unleashes the full force of cinema on his front lawn. It makes a fun watch since the filmmakers bulldoze through a ton of different genres of filmmaking. Enjoy!

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Plot Device from Red Giant on Vimeo.

Plot Device from Red Giant on Vimeo.

Magic Bullet Suite 11 is designed by VFX guru and filmmaker Stu Maschwitz,...

Here is a cool short film called Plot Device. The film is from software maker Red Giant, and is basically an ad to show off the capabilities of their Magic Bullet Suite 11. The video is actually pretty cool.

Here is a description of the film from Red Giant's Vimeo page:

“Plot Device,” a nine minute short film directed by Seth Worley, and executive produced by Red Giant’s own Aharon Rabinowitz. Aharon and Seth co-wrote the film, working together in close collaboration throughout the project. Plot Device was created to demonstrate first hand the high caliber work that can be created when using Magic Bullet Suite 11, even on a limited budget.

Check it out below:...

The short film Plot Device is, admittedly, an ad. Produced by software maker Red Giant [1] to show off the capabilities of the company's Magic Bullet Suite 11, the film puts a mysterious object -- a Plot Device -- into the hands of a would-be filmmaker. When activated, the device turns reality into cinema, full of unexpected twists, unwelcome action, and alien goop. (And a couple Garden State rejects, just to make sure all bases are covered.) In short, this is a nine-minute movie that races through a half-dozen film genres, and does so with humor and panache. Check it out below. And here's the 'making of': The film's Vimeo page [2] points to this summation of the film: “Plot Device,” a nine minute short film directed by Seth Worley, and executive produced by Red Giant’s own Aharon Rabinowitz. Aharon and Seth co-wrote the film, working together in close collaboration throughout the project.

As if the first wave of films wasn’t good enough the badasses over at Fantastic Fest have announced the 2nd wave of films and they have outdone themselves. With the additions of movie like ‘Zombieland’, ‘Survival of the Dead’, ‘Daybreakers’ and ‘Yatterman’ this is will be one of the best festivals of the year! Check out the announcement below:

Features:

Daybreakers (dir. Michael Spierig & Peter Spierig, 2009, USA)

The year is 2019. A mysterious plague has swept over the earth, transforming the majority of the world’s population into vampires. Humans are now an endangered, second-class species – forced into hiding as they are hunted and farmed for vampire consumption to the brink of extinction. It’s all up to Edward Dalton, a vampire researcher who refuses to feed on human blood, to perfect a blood substitute that might sustain vampires and spare the few remaining humans.

Doghouse

(dir. Jake West, 2009, UK...

That's right folks, the second wave has been announced, and I'm tentatively planning on being there for the opening night world premier of Jared Hess' Gentlemen Broncos followed by the next few days of genre goodness. What does this lineup bring us? Quite the list:

How about the Spierig brothers long awaited next film, a post apocalyptic vampire vision of the future: Daybreakers!

The world premier of Studio 4C's animated Russian war scifi First Squad.

The North American premier of Tom Six's anal grafted centipede sickness Human Centipede (First Sequence).

The Us premier of Tarik Saleh's Swiss animated dystopic vision with voices from the likes of Vincent Gallo, Metropia!

The Us premier of Lee Demarbre's deliciously horrific Sasha Grey starrer Smash Cut. (Review coming soon)

The Us premier of Romero's latest, Survival of the Dead.

Takashi Miike's reimagining of the long running tv anime Yatterman. (Review...